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2001-02
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2001-02
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2001-02
archive
2001-02
archive
2001-02
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Battle of the Boxes
By J.T. Means and Bryan Webb Over the past decade, videogames have become an essential in the American culture. Kids can now major in video-game production and graphics in college, and effects continue to become more realistic and action more intense. As the industry continues to set higher standards for itself, choosing the right console becomes ever more difficult. Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft lead the videogame industry in developing the new generation of videogames, and this year the competition between their newest creations is fierce. Sony's latest addition to the gaming consule market is the Playstation 2.Ê The PS2 has topped recent charts in system and game sales; best-selling games such as Grand Theft Auto 3, Metal Gear Solid 2 and Final Fantasy X define PS2 as one of the most popular systems ever produced. Many Sony fans found the PS2 upgrade an easy transition because of the new console's ability to play older games. This feature is great bait to bring many Playstation owners back for a new console. If that aspect doesn't hook potential purchasers, an included DVD player has sold many gamers on the PS2. For a launch price of approximately $300, PS2 owners receive a platform on which to play hundreds of titles, and a quality DVD player. Sony became the first company to put the digital movie player into a system, which revolutionized all consoles for generations to come. As far as software goes, PS2 has had more hit titles than any system for the past two years. Final Fantasy X gave loyal Squaresoft fans a promising role-playing game to add to the Final Fantasy series, and Metal Gear Solid 2 brought back all the elements of the original that everyone loved, along with other great additions. Last year's indisputable game of the year was created exclusively for PS2. Grand Theft Auto 3 stirred up controversy all around the globe with its release. The game was found so controversial because of its mature nature; in fact, in Australia, Grand Theft Auto 3 was pulled from shelves, and American videogame vendors required ID before buyers could purchase. the game. It seems PS2 is not going to be beat by Nintendo or Microsoft in the near future. The videogame market is predominantly a Playstation market all over the world. With the nearing release of a broadband modem and a hard drive for the system, the market for Sony is sure to grow and continue to compete with the other video game companies. Microsoft's first step out of the personal computer industry, the XBox, captured the public's attention this year as a powerhouse console. The Xbox surpasses all other current consoles in technological power; its processor speed and graphics quality cannot be beaten.Ê The system link option is also a new function on which the Xbox capitalized. With this option, 16 gamers can play certain games together (at four per Xbox).Ê This is one feature that made the game Halo so popular. Halo was one of last year's best-selling titles for the system and the market. This first-person shooting game is the story of a cyborg sent on a mission to stop an alien fleet and save Earth. While the game has a mature rating similar to Grand Theft Auto, its violence is not as graphic. Halo is in fact our favorite game on Microsoft's system. Actually, it is our top pick overall. It gives any gaming fan reason enough to buy at least one new XBox, if not more. More minor features, including a CD burner and a DVD player, also added to Xbox sales. Just as the PS2 pioneered an included DVD for the consoles, the Xbox pioneered an included CD burner. In the near future, Xbox will bring a massive broadband network to its audience. Xbox Live will provide all Xbox owners a broadband network for all their gaming needs. With this will also come support for many of 2003's games, as well as options for online chatting while playing the games. In addition to Xbox Live, users will receive a headset to allow people to talk to each other while playing games online. The third party to join the console war comes from a gaming market veteran. Nintendo's Gamecube, although released later, places Nintendo back in competition with Sony and its new foe, Microsoft. While the PS2 and XBox both released statements on their online network plans, Nintendo currently has no plan for online inter-player networking. Nintendo has manufactured the Gamecube to appeal to a younger audience than PS2 or XBox's intended consumers. Examples of this tendency show in the system itself and the selection of games. Gamecube's hit games include youthful Mario Sunshine, Pikmin and the more mature Resident Evil. With Mario, Nintendo hoped to draw old gaming audiences to their roots as well as hook young gamers. In Mario Sunshine, Mario is back to save his kingdom once again. This time, however, he is equipped with a handy water pack to clean up dirty land in an environmental nod. The plot of this game is not the standard "go through the level and beat the boss," on which previous Mario games capitalized. This time, Mario Sunshine provides more challenges as you go through the game. The re-released Resident Evil, currently one of the only mature games out for the Gamecube, brought fans of the original Resident Evil over to Nintendo's new system. This classic focused the media's attention on the console. With more life-like graphics and a gruesome plot, the game is back and scarier than ever. Similiar to the original, Gamecube's Resident Evil has consumers clinging to the edges of their chairs, breaking out in a cold sweat and unable to set down their controllers. Nintendo has a promising road ahead. After remaking another classic, Metroid, as the new fully-loaded Metroid Prime, the system's audience is sure to expand. If this doesn't boost sales, Nintendo recently cut a deal with Squaresoft, creator of the Final Fantasy series that spawned ten titles and a full-length computer-animated movie. Consumers should watch for the upcoming Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicals, exclusively for Gamecube. The main problem with the 'Cube at the moment is its target market. Here in America, a person who has never owned a Nintendo system is much more likely to purchase a PS2 or an Xbox just because of an American interest in the more maturely oriented games. In Japan, the gaming industry gears itself toward younger audiences and customers already have an endowed faith in the Nintendo corporation. With these three systems battling for the top spot, competition will guarantee gamers a steady supply of great games and competitive consule additionsÑat least until the next generation. Even then, one can only imagine what they will come up with next; obviously something bigger and better, but beyond that, who knows? |
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